The present invention relates to a token counter for calculating the types and amount of tokens such as monetary coins or coin-shaped medals used for various game machines.
According to a conventional token counter, a plurality of unassorted tokens having different face values and diameters may be put into the counter together, and caused to pass through a gate member. Then, the passed tokens are counted and discharged. The gate member is arranged to allow the passage of tokens having a particular diameter and thickness. Thus, tokens having a larger diameter or thickness are made to remain in the holding portion for the supplied coins. The gate member is size-adjustable to deal with the diameters and thicknesses of the coins.
However, when unassorted tokens of several types are put together into the supply section, the adjustment of the gate member needs to be started from a smaller dimension corresponding to a smaller diameter, so that tokens of a smaller diameter will be counted and discharged before larger ones. Otherwise, the tokens of smaller diameters will unduly be discharged from the gate member adjusted to allow passage of diametrically large tokens, and this causes a problem of erroneous calculations. In addition, the calculation procedure needs to be repeated as many times as the gate member is adjusted (for example, the number of types of Japanese coins), which is problematically troublesome and time-consuming.
The above problems are addressed by prior art, for instance, National Publication No. 9-500468 (International Application Number: PCT2/US94/08036; International Publication Number: WO95/049789). According to this, a coin-sorting apparatus is provided which includes a rotary disk having an elastic upper surface, a stationary sorting head having a lower surface which is arranged in parallel to but slightly spaced from the upper surface of the rotary disk, and a drive motor for driving the rotary disk. The stationary sorting head are provided, at a lower portion thereof, with a gauge passage for arranging tokens (coins) of various types (diameters) into a single row and single layer, and with a plurality of spiral coin sorting passages which communicate with the gauge passage and are arranged to receive and discharge tokens (coins) of particular types (diameters) at positions downstream of the flow of the arranged tokens.
Although the above apparatus is capable of sorting tokens of different types (diameters), it cannot calculate the numbers or total amount of the tokens.
The present invention has been proposed for overcoming the above problems, and its object is to provide a token counter which makes it possible to display the total amount of money for all of the tokens (coins) discharged from the apparatus, even if the supplied tokens include various types in an unassorted state. It is also possible to display each of the numbers or/and amounts for the respective types of the discharged tokens. Further, the discharging operation (counting operation) of the tokens from the apparatus needs to be performed only once.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a token counter comprising: a rotary disk whose upper surface is arranged to support tokens and which is rotated manually or by driving means; a disk follower arranged outwardly from the rotary disk; an endless transfer member extending around circumferences of the rotary disk and the disk follower; a guide plate provided with a token inlet portion open to the upper surface of the rotary disk and with a guide passage for guiding tokens so that they are discharged toward an outlet, the tokens being carried on the endless transfer member moving from a circumferential side portion of the rotary disk toward a side of the disk follower; a coin sensor for detecting diameters and transit number of the tokens being transferred in the guide passage; a control unit for calculating measurement results obtained by the coin sensor; and a display unit for displaying calculated results such as amount of money of the discharged tokens.
With such an arrangement, when the rotary disk is rotated in the forward direction after a plurality of tokens of different types are supplied onto the rotary disk via the coin inlet portion, the tokens are introduced, one by one, into the guide passage from the outer edge of the rotary disk. Then, the tokens are placed on the endless transfer member moving along the guide passage and transferred in the direction of the outlet. On the way, the coin sensor detects the diameters and numbers of the respective tokens being transferred. The detection results are calculated by the control unit to be automatically displayed.
Further, with the above arrangement, even if a lot of tokens of various face values are supplied in an unassorted manner, the types and the numbers of the tokens are automatically determined by the coin sensor. Thus, the counting operation needs to be performed only once. In other words, the token-counting can be carried out very efficiently.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the rotary disk, the disk follower and the endless transfer member are arranged at an upper surface of a main case of the token counter. On the other hand, the guide plate is fixed at a lower portion of an upper casing provided with a token inlet portion open to the upper surface of the rotary disk. The guide passage is formed on a lower side of the guide plate in a downwardly open manner. With such an arrangement, the rotary disk, the disk follower and the endless transfer member are arranged in a plane on the upper side of the main case, with the endless transfer member extending around the circumferences of the rotary disk and the disk follower. Thus, advantageously the tokens on the rotary disk will be smoothly shifted onto the endless transfer member to be transferred and discharged along the guide passage formed in the guide plate arranged at a lower portion of the upper casing.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the token counter, the upper casing is attached in a manner enabling opening and closing movement relative to the upper surface of the main case. Further, the upper casing is provided with the coin sensor, while the main case is provided with a light source for the coin sensor. With such an arrangement, maintenance can be readily done merely by opening the upper casing relative to the main case. Thus, it is possible to easily carry out the removing of tokens stuck during the transfer, the changing of the endless transfer member, or the cleaning of the coin sensor or light sources.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the token counter, the coin sensor serves to distinguish types and numbers of passing-by tokens, while the control unit is arranged to store the types and the numbers of the tokens and calculate them so as to cause a display unit to display a total amount of money. With such an arrangement, even if the supplied tokens are of various types (face values), the total amount for all of the detected tokens can be displayed. Thus, there is no need to add up the amounts of the respective types, which is advantageous for efficiently carrying out the counting operation.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the token counter, the display unit is arranged to selectively display the total amount of money and data distinguished in accordance with the types of the tokens. With such an arrangement, if the supplied tokens are of various types (face values), the calculated results for the respective types can be known very readily. Thus, it is possible to carry out the entire calculating procedure within a short period of time, which is advantageous for realizing much improved efficiency.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the token counter further includes a rotation direction sensor for detecting a rotational direction of the rotary disk or disk follower. Also, the control unit serves, during a reverse transfer operation of the tokens on the endless transfer member, to prevent calculations for the types and numbers of the tokens from being carried out.
Even if a trouble, such as a jam of tokens in the guide passage, occurs, the jam will advantageously be eliminated by temporarily rotating the rotary disk in the reverse direction. In addition, with the above controlling manner, it is possible to prevent the tokens from being counted again during the backward movement, and also to prevent calculations from being performed for tokens which have not been discharged yet. Thus, the results of calculations will advantageously be accurate.
Further, according to a seventh aspect, in the token counter, an elastic element is arranged adjacent to the coin sensor in the guide passage in facing relation to an upper surface of the endless transfer member.
Such an arrangement is advantageous when tokens carried on the endless transfer member have different thicknesses, and particularly when a comparatively thin token is carried between thicker tokens. This is because the thin token is prevented from laterally deviating by being elastically held between the elastic element and the endless transfer member. In this manner, it is possible to reliably prevent inaccurate results from being obtained in measuring the diameters of the tokens.